


A L'encre Noire Sous Mes Paupières

by hipster-yams (madamedicelia)



Series: Blooming Ink [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Tattoo Parlor, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Language of Flowers, M/M, Neko Atsume - Freeform, Tattoos, Tea Shop, Trans Character, also please consider lev with circle lenses, i swear this isn't as sad and angsty as it sounds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-26
Updated: 2016-02-26
Packaged: 2018-05-22 21:36:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6094808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madamedicelia/pseuds/hipster-yams
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hinata has had a lot of great times in his life. His sister's birth, getting into his top choice college, the existence of pork buns. He's also had a lot of not so good times. Failing at everything he loves, being bullied so much he had to switch schools. </p><p>However, he's finally made it past that but has decided to embed those feelings and his new hopes into his skin. He might even get a few more just for a reason to see the same tattoo artist because he was pretty darn cute...</p>
            </blockquote>





	A L'encre Noire Sous Mes Paupières

**Author's Note:**

> i had this idea in the shower and i wrote for hours straight oh my g do why this i am sick and here i am at my computer, writing fic. i am indeed a masochist 
> 
> spoilers for peaches's memento from neko atsume
> 
> i am deep in rare pair hell, save me
> 
> (also for my non-french speakers, it's "In black ink beneath my eyelids" it's part of a line from a song called est-ce que tu m'aime by maitre gim, 10/10 song tbh)
> 
> many thank to my meme of a beta

“Are you sure you wanna do this?”

Shouyou turned to look at Kageyama. His thin eyebrows furrowed under his fringe, a slight frown on his lips. Shouyou drew himself up and set a determined grin on his face. “I’m sure.”

Kageyama’s frown deepened. Shouyou punched his arm. “It won’t be the first permanent mark on my body, Yamayama-kun,” he laughed. “Except this one will finally be something good.”

Kageyama looked placated. “Just make sure they don’t misspell it,” he grunted. His wind-beaten cheeks turned red with concern and care. 

“No ragrets.”

“Dumbass.”

Shouyou bumped his hip into Kageyama’s, eliciting a hint of a smile. “Thanks for coming with me by the way,” he said.

“I have would come anyways,” Kageyama replied. He gently tugged Shouyou’s arm to step around a puddle.

The parlor came into view. It was one of the few places that lit up the street in the night. Blue fairy lights hung across the top of the window and off-white fluorescent lights came from deeper in the shop. Shouyou hesitated with a hand over the doorknob. Kageyama squeezed his shoulder and Shouyou managed to turned the knob and enter. 

“Welcome to Nekoma Tattoo, how can I help you?” A lanky man with bedhead stepped around the counter. His hair looked almost blue in the light. A detailed ring hung from his septum. When he talked, something, probably a tongue piercing, flashed in his mouth. 

Shouyou cowered behind Kageyama. The man looked intimidating yet at ease, the very dangerous mixture of comfort and knowledge of the land. 

And that land was quite something. Sketches of tattoo in frames dotted the walls along with sassy placards. The tiled floor had slightly large glittery tiles in a checkerboard of black and white. The waiting area and tattooing areas were connected and open but a few doors were closed in the back. The glass counters displayed the entire array of jewelry from your basic studs to curved barbells and labrets and gauges. Black plastic models showed off where you could place these metals decorations. Shouyou quickly looked away when he saw the genital piercings. _Didn’t that hurt?!_

“My friend wants a tattoo,” Kageyama mumbled. He put a hand on Shouyou’s shoulder and pushed him forward. He gave another encouraging squeeze before dropping his arm. 

Shouyou tugged his sleeves down and crossed his arms around his stomach as he looked up at the man. There were also two small bumps under his t-shirt, near his collarbone. “Uh, yeah, what he said.”

“Cool. Do you have a sketch or idea? By the way, I’m Kuroo.” He stuck out a hand. He had rings on most of his fingers. However, Shouyou felt a giggle bubble up when he saw about half were mood rings.

Shouyou grasped his hand and shook it warily. “I’m Hinata and that’s Kageyama.” He reached into his pocket and procured a folded piece of paper. “I have this.”

Kuroo took the paper and unfolded it. He nodded his head slightly. “Pretty sure we can do this.” He turned towards the back of the shop. “Hey Kenma, do you wanna take a look at this design?”

Both Shouyou and Kageyama leaned over to peek at the back of the shop. A chair squeezed and footsteps clicked. A shorter, blond man stepped out. As he got closer, Shouyou saw that his roots were growing in. Kenma took the design from Kuroo. Shouyou gaped at his sleeves and all the intricate tattoos winding their way up his arm. Only a bridge piercing adorned his face though Shouyou could see flashes of metal when his hair moved. 

“I can do it,” he said simply. He set his eyes on Shouyou. Shouyou almost flinched from the intensity of the amber irises but managed to meet his gaze. “I have no more appointments today. Do you wanna do it now?”

Shouyou stuttered and fumbled with his hands. “Yeah, sure, that’s cool, why not.”

Kuroo chuckled and went behind the counter to locate the papers. Kenma nodded and stepped closer. Shouyou inhaled in shock and Kenma’s cologne met his scent receptors. It was strong but pleasant, a bit fruity but heavily overlaid with something Shouyou couldn’t name. It was a scent Shouyou wanted to keep smelling. 

“I can find a font close to this on the computer,” Kenma said, examining the design.

“No,” Shouyou immediately interrupted. Kenma raised his eyebrows at him. “I want this font. I made it myself; it’s mostly my own handwriting,” he explained sheepishly.

Kenma nodded understandingly. “These exact flowers and sizes, too?”

Shouyou nodded excitedly. “Yep. I’m not the best artist so if you could make them look prettier and more even, that’d be cool.”

Kenma looked at him and Shouyou thought he smiled for a second before his expression returned to its impassive rest. “Where do you want it?”

Shouyou flexed his right arm and slapped his inner bicep. “Right here.”

“Okay,” Kenma replied, looking pensive. “Lemme copy it on the projector. Shouldn’t take that long. I’ll come over when it’s done.”

Shouyou nodded and bounced on his toes. _It was finally happening! So fast, too._

“You’re gonna do it now?” Kageyama asked in shock.

“Sure, why not?” Shouyou shrugged. “It was gonna happen anyways.”

Kageyama frowned in thought then nodded in agreement. “Good point.”

“Okay so I just need some ID and your autograph on here,” Kuroo explained, sliding some papers on the counter. 

Hinata pried his driver’s license out of his wallet and handed it over. While Kuroo made copies, Shouyou read over the papers. _“Are you sober in making this choice?” “Have you eaten in the last two hours?” “Are you being forced to get this tattoo?” “Are you aware of the possible allergic reaction to the ink?”_ The standard stuff. Shouyou quickly checked the corresponding answers and signed the bottom. 

“Cool beans,” Kuroo said, looking over the papers. “You can sit while you wait for Kenma to finish.” He gestured to the black leather couches and the coffin-shaped coffee table.

Kageyama picked up one of the many binders on the table and cracked it open. Shouyou leaned over his shoulder. It was a bunch of photos of before and afters of tattoo cover-ups. The next binder was full of tattoos by the artists that worked there. Kageyama pointed to a picture of a cartoon crow.

“It you.”

Shouyou snorted. He located Grumpy from Snow White and tapped the image. “That one you.”

Kageyama covered up a snicker. 

There was an entire binder dedicated solely to Kenma’s art. There were crude sketches (probably from the customer) and the beautiful result after Kenma’s hand touched it. There were incredibly accurate portraits on legs and backs next to the real photos, both in color and black and white. A sweeping and sweet watercolor style pervaded on the flower and animal tattoos. Shouyou hoped he could get Kenma to do one of those on him. 

Once they finished looking at all the binders, they leaned back in the couch. Shouyou looked to the side and flinched. A creepy baby doll was seated on a slowly revolving mirror in a case. It had stringy black tied roughly tied into pigtails and a cat headband that looked too cute and out of place. It scowled when it turned towards him and glared with beady eyes. It was pierced everywhere he could think of and even some places he didn’t know you could pierce. He poked Kageyama on the shoulder and gestured to it. He looked equally frightened. 

“’Hinata,’ was it? I’m done if you wanna look.” Kenma walked towards them, inspecting a crisp new paper. 

Shouyou jumped up and grabbed the offered paper. The words were now clean-edged and all the same size but still recognizably in his handwriting. The gladiolus and eglantine roses curled around the top and right of the phrase, near his shoulder when on his arm. The delicate white and purple flowers were deftly sketched in marker, right down to the dots on the petals and the thin stigma and pistils. 

“It’s perfect,” Shouyou exhaled. “Yes, this is exactly what I want.”

Kenma nodded and took back the paper. “I’ll make it a stencil and then call you over to start.” He met Shouyou’s eyes again and their concentration and beauty made him gasp again. He held his gaze a second longer then walked away. 

Shouyou collapsed on the couch once Kenma was out of sight. Kageyama gave him a little smirk and poked his shoulder.

“Don’t even say it,” Shouyou warned. 

“You think he’s hot,” Kageyama said, too loud for Shouyou’s liking. His eyes darted to Kuroo but he didn’t appear to have heard.

Shouyou shushed his friend but the slight heat crawling up his neck revealed his true answer. Kageyama chuckled and Shouyou punched his arm. Kageyama punched back and soon they were having a small, one-armed fight. 

“Uh.”

They froze and turned their heads almost simultaneously to the source of the sound. Kenma stood across from them with an amused expression. 

“I’m ready to go, if you are,” Kenma said, lips twitching with a suppressed smile. 

Shouyou extricated himself from Kageyama’s grasp and bounced up, brushing off his clothes. “Ready,” he said, taking a deep breath.

Kenma walked towards the back of the shop while Shouyou and Kageyama followed. Kenma gestured to his station. It was spartanly furnished with only a long black chair and some metal cabinets. Meticulously laid out atop the counter were the inks in small pots, the gun, gloves, and a few other tools of the trade. A framed drawing of scientific specimens of flowers a with a cat skull in the center hung above it.

“Take a seat and push your sleeve up,” Kenma instructed, sitting on a roller stool. He put on black gloves with a snap. 

Shouyou plopped down. The chair was a lot firmer than he thought. He shot Kageyama a worried glance before pushing up his sweater sleeve. Slowly, a mess of raised skin, pink and white and shiny, emerged. The thick fabric of the sleeve got stuck over his bicep, refusing to move up further. Shouyou fiddled with it, vehemently avoiding anyone’s gaze. Kageyama had seen his scars before but Shouyou felt like he was revealing something very personal to a stranger. 

“Will this be enough?” Shouyou asked, holding his sleeve at around mid-bicep.

Kenma shook his head. “It won’t fit in that space plus the excess ink will get on your shirt.” He looked away and shrugged. “You can just take off your shirt, if you’re comfortable.”

Shouyou pursed his lips. This stranger had already seen some of his scars. What does it matter if he sees a few more? Shouyou resolved himself and pulled off his shirt by the back of the neck. There were a lot fewer scars on his abdomen but he still looked scrawny. He shook those thoughts from his head. He was past that way of thinking. He straightened his spine and tried to look confident. _I got better. These are war scars and I’m proud of surviving them._

Kenma rolled closer, a small tube of a mystery substance in hand. “Stick out your arm, please.” 

Shouyou did as told. Kenma rubbed some of the gel on his arm and the carefully laid the stencil on. He pressed it out with both hands, moving outwards from the center of the stencil. He then carefully peeled it off and backed away. 

“You can go look at it now. It needs to dry a little,” Kenma said. He stood up. “I’m just gonna put the heat up so you don’t freeze.”

Shouyou nodded and skipped over to the full body mirror. He flexed his arm and watched the light purple drawings move. “I don’t want to die without any scars” surrounded on one side by eglantine roses and gladiolus. He smiled at his reflection. 

“What do you think?” Shouyou turned to Kageyama, posing.

“Looks good.” He squinted at the words, then stepped back, appeased. “and spelled right,” he amended. 

Shouyou snorted. “I wrote it myself; it _should_ be spelled right.”

“With you, you might never know.”

“Dumbass,” Shouyou laughed, bumping Kageyama on the shoulder. 

Kenma returned and sat on his roller chair. “Looks good?”

Shouyou sat back down. “Perfect.”

Kenma turned to assemble his tattoo gun but Shouyou caught a glance at his proud smile. 

“So just sit back, rest your arm on the stand, and try not to move too much. If you need a break, just say so,” Kenma explained. He slathered petroleum jelly over the stencil, carefully smoothing out an even layer. 

“What’s that for?” Kageyama asked, side eyeing Kenma’s actions with a frown.

“It helps the needle slide more easily and enter the skin better,” Kenma described. At the mention of the word “needle” Kageyama looked a little green.

Kenma scooted closer to Shouyou’s arm, arranging the wires and hose around the chair. He placed one hand on Shouyou’s arm and poised the needle over the temporary purple lettering. He turned those wide and strangely beautiful eyes back to Shouyou. “Ready?”

Kageyama slid closer and Shouyou reached out to hold his hand with the one that wasn’t being inked. He breathed deeply. “Ready.”

Shouyou squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for a jolt of pain. The tattoo gun whirred and he felt Kenma adjust his grip. Shouyou crushed Kageyama’s hand and Kageyama responded with an equal amount of pressure and anxiety. The cold needle hit his skin. Shouyou blinked his eyes open and loosened his grip on Kageyama.

“That isn’t that bad,” he remarked.

Kenma stopped to readjust and shrugged. “Pain is relative.”

“I guess,” Shouyou said, wincing. It still hurt but it was bearable. 

After that, Kenma stayed relatively quiet. Shouyou let him be; he probably needed to concentrate to make sure the tattoo looked good. However, he kept holding Kageyama’s hand. It was more for him than Shouyou because Tobio wasn’t looking too hot. Just the sound of the tattoo gun seemed to put him on edge. Shouyou tried to distract him from the process by chatting. Every now and then Shouyou would look back and see the amount of black grow on his skin. It warmed him to finally see the words he believed in written on his skin. 

Kenma was almost done with the outline when Shouyou noticed how uncomfortable Kageyama looked. “Are you okay?” 

Kageyama gave him a half-assed glare. 

“I’m the one getting tattooed and you’re the one getting queasy,” Shouyou giggled.

“Shut up,” Kageyama mumbled, the tips of his ears turning red. At least there was finally some color on his skin. He was so pale he looked ill.

“Hey, there was a convenience store down the road. Go drink some milk or something before you pass out,” Shouyou commanded. 

Kageyama looked pointedly at Kenma while he dipped the needle in more ink before setting it back on Shouyou’s skin. The effect was lessened by how ill Kageyama looked. 

“I’ll be fine,” Shouyou placated. “I think you’re more likely to get sick than me. Go eat something, get some fresh air.”

Kageyama looked hesitant but he stood up. “Are you sure?”

Shouyou rolled his eyes. “Yes, now go. I’ll draw in Sharpie on your face if you pass out from staring at the needle so hard.”

Kageyama scoffed. “Like that’s gonna happen.” He waved as he walked out.

“I bet 500 yen you buy a milk box!” Shouyou shouted at his departing friend.

“I’ll be back soon!” Kageyama called before the door shut. 

And so Shouyou was left with Kenma. Who knows where Kuroo had disappeared to but Shouyou hadn’t seen him for a while. He felt uncomfortable with the silence and tried to think of conversation. 

“So why did you get into tattooing?” Shouyou watched Kenma’s face while he worked. His eyes squinted as he tried to make the best lines and follow the stencil. The light brushed the tops of his cheekbones, leaving the lower half of his face in shadow. He had tied his hair to keep it out of his face so now Shouyou could see all the earrings and barbells and labrets. One of his gauges had another loose earring in it. Shouyou wondered if it made an annoying noise from sliding around all the time. He could even see a bit of a swirly tattoo peeking out from behind his ear. Kenma wasn’t conventionally pretty by any means; remove all the metal and fix his roots and he would look average. Shouyou found beauty in that. He was mesmerized by the planes of Kenma’s face and his chapped lips from biting them and his dark eyelashes and the feel of his gloved hands on his arm. 

“I play a lot of video games and when I was young I liked to draw the characters and backgrounds,” Kenma answered. He glanced at Shouyou before continuing his work. “I thought digital design would be interesting but no one appreciates art in games or media much. I want my art to be loved and have meaning. People like to have pretty art on their skin and they’ll always appreciate it so I figured I’d try tattooing.”

“Do you like it?” Shouyou pressed.

Kenma had a ghost of a smile as he paused. “I love creating the art, both on paper from people’s ideas and on the skin. I just feel bad sometimes that it causes people so much pain.”

Shouyou chuckled. “Isn’t that a bit contradictory?”

“Perhaps.” Kenma wiped the area he just finished, scrutinizing the ink before continuing. “But beauty is pain.”

“What was your first tattoo?” Shouyou asked. “Like on yourself.”

Kenma bit his lip but continued working, touching up a line here, a dot there. Shouyou was almost afraid he wouldn’t respond, that perhaps he had overstepped some boundary. 

“Done,” Kenma sighed, leaning back. 

Shouyou raised his arm and studied it. The letters were bold and dark and the flowers were outlined. Excess ink had splattered all over the rest of his arm and even on his chest. Wiping it away just made him look more dirty. 

“And to answer your question,” Kenma said, startling Shouyou. He took off his cardigan, revealing a baggy tank top with practically no sides. A black garment with tiny, shining hooks on the side stretched tight across his chest. His tattoos spread across his shoulders and down his chest and presumably down his back. He extended his left arm and presented the crooked of his elbow. He pointed at two rough figures just above the dip in his arm. “My first tattoos. I did them myself when I was 16.”

Shouyou peered at the old ink. It was faded and the lines messy. One was a red heart. The other was a cathead with a lazy look in its eyes. 

“That’s cute,” Shouyou said.

Kenma looked away. “Thanks.”

“Do they mean anything?” Shouyou asked curiously. 

Kenma shrugged. He kept his cardigan off. Shouyou could feel the heater at work. “I didn’t know about stencils so I drew what I knew. That happened to be a heart and a cat. It’s supposed to be a caricature of the one who’s _supposed_ to be manning the front desk.”

Shouyou bit his lip but the question slipped out anyways. “Is he close to you?”

Kenma sighed. “Sadly, yes. He’s been my best friend since we were kids. He has a matching cat on his arm that I made. Wouldn’t trade him for the world despite all the trouble he gets us into.”

Shouyou smiled. “That’s sweet.”

Kenma waved the compliment away and pink dotted his cheeks. “What about that grumpy guy that came with you? He your boyfriend?”

Shouyou flinched. “What, no. Oh my god, no. He’s my best friend. He’s like how Kuroo is to you,” he stammered, feeling the heat crawl up his neck. He couldn’t even hide it with his shirt, which was tossed over the back of some chair. 

Kenma smiled without hiding this time. “How cute.”

Shouyou huffed, ready to argue but Kenma waved down his posturing. 

“So I told you what some of my tattoos mean. Tell me what this one means,” Kenma said, gesturing to Shouyou’s arm. “People don’t usually choose eglantine roses or gladiolus to get on their skin.”

Shouyou’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline. “You know what type of flowers they are?”

Kenma gestured to the scientific study of flowers hanging on his wall. “When I’m not tattooing or gaming I like to partake in some casual botany.”

“That’s such a cool hobby!” Shouyou exclaimed. He crossed his arms to rub them but stopped short because of the fresh ink. “And, well, I like what they mean. I’ve had some really bad times, if you can tell.” He lifted his arms, inner wrists facing the ceiling. “I wanted something to represent those times but not negatively. They changed who I am and I love who I am now and I wouldn’t ever change that or want to forget it, even despite what I went through.”

Kenma nodded sagely. “’A wound to heal’ and ‘strength of character’. I think that fits well.”

Shouyou grinned. “Good. I searched for a long time to find a flower with the meanings I wanted.”

“I understand that.” Kenma pointed to a spot on his right shoulder. “It took months to finally decide on this one.”

Shouyou pursed his lips, trying to remember the hundreds of plants and flora he had researched. “What is it?” he asked, defeated.

“A snowdrop.”

The meaning popped into Shouyou’s mind immediately. “’Hope’.”

Kenma gave him another shy smile. “Exactly.”

“Why’d you get that one?” Shouyou asked.

Kenma got up and started preparing the colored inks for the next step. Facing away from Shouyou, he said quietly, as if he wasn’t sure of his intention, “A meaning for a meaning. Come back and ask me another day and I’ll tell you.”

Shouyou flushed. Was that an invitation to see him again? Or just to get another tattoo? Shouyou would do it if it meant being able to talk to Kenma more. He liked the blond’s gentle yet bold nature, his quiet yet intelligent voice. Kenma held so much mystery and Shouyou wanted to know more about him. About his piercings and endless and how he takes his coffee and what he likes to order for takeout. It wasn’t a gossipy curiosity like when you hear rumors. It was the kind of curiosity you got when your friend talks about a time in their life you don’t know about or something they like you’ve never heard of yet. Shouyou wanted to get to slowly know Kenma like that. 

Kenma walked back over and placed multiple tiny pots of color on the counter. Shouyou watched him change the needle and carefully check over his gun. He noticed that Kenma was wearing light pink nail polish. Latex gloves had covered them most of the time but now Shouyou could see how perfectly manicured his nails were. 

“I like how happy and sunny you are despite…,” Kenma trailed off, afraid of overstepping a boundary by saying the words. 

Hinata chuckled. “Kageyama said that too when I told him. I just spent so much of my life being depressed and suicidal that if I want to shoot rainbows and sunshine out of my ass, I will and I do.”

Kenma snorted, the closest thing to a real laugh Shouyou had heard him make. “I like your way of thinking, Hinata.”

“Call me Shouyou,” he said. He scooted back in the chair and laid out his arm.

“’Flying sunshine’,” Kenma said after a pause. “That’s a nice meaning.”

“Thanks. You seem to know a lot about meanings and secret stuff,” Shouyou commented. He flinched when the needle entered his skin. It was now sorer after the break. 

“I think they’re interesting. It’s like a secret means of communication. If someone cares enough to look it up, it gives the symbol a sort of new meaning.” Kenma wiped the spot he was working on with a paper towel, clearing away excess color. Suddenly the paper felt rough as sandpaper on his skin. The rest of this tattoo was going to be the real pain. The adrenaline makes the first hour seem only mildly painful but now that the neurotransmitter had cleared away, the pure intensity of the pain spread across Shouyou’s arm.

“Yeah,” Shouyou trailed off. He watched Kenma work in silence, biting his lip or digging his nails into his palm whenever the pain became too much. He tried to focus on the color blooming on his skin rather than the needle stabbing it.

“Were you always this good at art?” Shouyou asked. He hoped the conversation would block out some of the pain.

Kenma scoffed, turning to get more ink. “Hell no. I sucked at first. I’m so embarrassed of my first artworks, even the stuff I did in college.”

“Really? You’re so talented,” Shouyou squeaked. Kenma seemed so confident in his skills it was hard to imagine that he ever didn’t have such skill and tranquility. 

Kenma nodded. “I drew in secret for a long time because I was afraid of what people would say. But I loved drawing, even if it didn’t always turn out how I wanted. I kept going, trying new things and messing up a lot until I can do what I do now. Talent is anything you have the patience to fuck up a lot on and still love it.”

“Huh.” Shouyou leaned back. He sucked at a lot of things. Volleyball receives, calculus, coming up with good insults for Kageyama. But he guessed he got better a lot of things too. His fear of failure had kept him back for a long time but he’s been slowly working past that. _It’s nice to know I’m not the only one._

The parlor door tinkled open. Shouyou and Kenma looked up. Kageyama stood there holding a paper cup and a bag. The smell hit Shouyou’s nostrils before Kageyama even started moving.

“Pork buns,” he all but moaned. He’d been sitting there, being stabbed with a tiny needle for over two hours; he was exhausted. 

“No food near the equipment,” Kenma quickly said, not looking up. “But drinks are okay as long as it’s not alcohol.”

Kageyama placed the bag and his coat on the sofa and walked over. He handed Shouyou the cup. It was still hot and the sweet chocolaty scented steam floated out from the opening in the lid. 

“A hot chocolate since I figured you might be a little cold after being shirtless for like three hours,” Kageyama explained, rubbing the back of his head. 

“Thanks Yamayama-kun.” Shouyou smiled and took a cautious sip. It burned the tip of his tongue but he welcomed the warmth. 

“I’m just about done here, too. You don’t have to wait long for your beloved pork buns, Shouyou,” Kenma commented. 

Kageyama raised an eyebrow at the use of Shouyou’s first name but a stern look from Shouyou kept Tobio’s comments internal for now. Shouyou knew he was going to hear it all the moment they stepped outside.

Shouyou sipped his hot chocolate while Kageyama relayed his adventures in the convenience store. Turns out Oikawa was there buying condoms? Kageyama said he looked too embarrassed to properly tease his kouhai. Sometimes Shouyou swore he heard Kenma softly snort or open his mouth to add a comment but he kept quiet. 

“Done,” Kenma announced a half hour later. Shouyou sighed in relief. He wasn’t sure how much more pain he could take. 

Kenma tried to wipe away the excess ink and lightly washed the tattoo with antibacterial soap. Shouyou felt weird about Kenma wiping his shoulders; it was oddly intimate but he tried to ignore the feeling. Kenma then applied a thin layer of petroleum jelly and covered it with plastic wrap, using medical tape to seal the edges. Shouyou was allowed to slip his shirt back on and admire his fresh ink. 

“Take off the plastic in an hour and then lightly cover it in a strong moisturizer like five or six times a day. In about a week it should be fully healed,” Kenma said. 

Shouyou was ready to attack his pork bun but held himself back. “Thank you,” he said.

Kenma smiled softly. “No problem.” 

“Can I hug you? Like it’s my first tattoo and it looks so cool and everything,” Shouyou added, playing with his sleeves. He hoped he didn’t look too frazzled. 

Kenma shrugged. “Sure.” Shouyou stepped forward, carefully keeping his inked arm away from any contact. The smell of Kenma’s cologne was strong again, despite all the hours they had been so close. Kenma tapped him lightly on the back and stepped away. “Since you’re your first, come back next week so I can see how it turns out.”

“Gotcha.” Shouyou nodded with a big smile. 

Kageyama helped him into his coat and then Shouyou paid. Sometime between Kageyama showing up and finishing the tattoo, Kuroo had appeared, ready and possibly eager (who could tell with that smirk of his) to serve. As they were leaving, Kenma gave a little finger wave. Shouyou felt his smile grow larger and waved back.

~.~

After a week of sleeping weirdly so he didn’t lay on his tattoo, carefully putting on all shirts, pushing up his sleeves to display his art, and applying endless amounts of moisturizer, Shouyou was back in front of Nekoma Tattoos. His tattoo was no longer tender and didn’t dry out often. It looked less shiny but still bright and bold on his fair skin. All the lines and colors still flowed evenly and perfectly. Really, there was no reason for Shouyou to come back. Other than to talk to Kenma.

His hand hovered over the doorknob. Steeling himself, Shouyou pulled it open and stepped inside. 

“Hi, welcome to Nekoma Tattoo!”

A different lanky man stood behind the front desk today. His hair was silver and though it was styled straight and close to his head, a few wiry tufts stuck out, probably dry and chemically beaten up from the bleach and dye. His irises were unnaturally large and green and his smiling lips revealed artificially pointed canine teeth. Tiny silver balls on his cheeks accentuated his grin.

“Uh, I’m here to see Kenma,” Shouyou explained warily, arcing his head back to look at the receptionist in the eyes.

The man leaned over the desk with a mischievous glint in his eyes, thought that might have been due to his circle lenses. “Oh?” he said, drawing out the vowel. 

“Shut up, Lev.”

Shouyou searched for the source of the voice. Kenma got up from his chair, clicking off his phone. He had slid down so far in his seat he was barely visible over the counter. 

“You’ll scare him away, too, with that attitude,” Kenma reprimanded, slowly getting up. 

“It’s not my fault that guy ran away!” Lev exclaimed. “He was afraid of getting the snakebites the moment he walked in. I just helped him stick to his choices.”

Kenma snorted and walked around the counter. He was wearing high-waisted jeans and a lacey black bralette he filled out a lot more than Shouyou originally thought he would. His outfit drew attention to his narrow waist and (not surprisingly) his belly-button ring, which was a cat (also not surprising). 

“Lemme see how it looks,” Kenma said. 

Shouyou stripped off his coat and presented his bicep to Kenma. He looked at it from different angles, gently turning Shouyou’s arm. His hands were warm and light. His ran his fingers over the lettering delicately before letting go.

“Looks pretty good,” he commented.

“As if you expected anything else,” Lev scoffed.

Kenma glared at him from the corners of his eyes, annoyed but unwilling to give him his full attention and stroke his ego. 

“Do you want to get a tea, Shouyou?” Kenma asked, deliberately ignoring the sentient lamp pole. “I’m still on my lunch break.”

Shouyou stammer and flailed his hands. “Uh sure!”

Kenma nodded and grabbed his cardigan. It was one of those super long ones that go down to your calves and flow out before you as you walk so you look intimidating and poised. Not that Kenma wasn’t already poised and a bit intimidating. That guy looked like he had his shit together, unlike Shouyou.

“Toodles!” Lev called as they walked out.

“He sounds like he’s interesting,” Shouyou laughed, watching Lev wave at them energetically from the window as they walked down the road.

Kenma’s lips twitched into a small smile. “He kind of reminds me of you. Just more annoying and tall.”

Shouyou smiled, pleased by the compliment. Suddenly his eyebrows knit together. “Wait ‘more’ annoying? Those that mean _I’m_ annoying?” 

Kenma laughed, closing his eyes and looking away. “Maybe a little. But it’s a nice annoying. You have energy and determination rather than a desire to piss off everyone.”

Shouyou blushed and shoved his hands in his pockets. 

Kenma’s eyes widened and his hand darted into his pocket. “Just a sec.” 

Shouyou watched curiously as Kenma pulled out his phone. He quickly tapped out his passcode and opened an app. Sweet, whimsical music flowed from his speakers. Shouyou saw the screen get dark and Kenma gasped quietly. A barely suppressed smile spread on his lips and all Shouyou could think of was how cute he looked. 

“Peaches is giving me their memento,” Kenma whispered excitedly, as if loudness would ruin the magic. 

Shouyou giggled. Kenma, with a million piercings and practically every inch of skin covered in ink, Kenma who spoke quietly and intelligently while swearing, Kenma who worked at a tattoo parlor, was a nerd for Neko Atsume.

“He gave me a bendy straw!” Kenma turned the screen so Shouyou could see. 

“That’s so cute,” Shouyou said, not sure if he meant the cat game or Kenma or both. 

Kenma glanced at Shouyou, pink covering his face as he closed the game. He shoved his phone in his back jeans pocket and looked like he wanted to say something but changed his mind at the last moment. 

“You said you liked to play video games. What games do you like to play other than the cats?” Shouyou asked.

As they walked, Kenma explained his favorite games and bosses and the levels he was stuck on. Shouyou provided memes and sound effects. Kenma rarely laughs but the glimmer in his eyes told Shouyou he was having fun.

“This is the place,” Kenma said, stopping outside an unassuming store. 

The inside was decorated with bamboo plants and flowers. Shouyou could hear a little waterfall or fountain from somewhere deeper inside. Shiny metal pots filled with tea lined one wall. New age and hipster music played from hidden speakers and mixed with the sounds of teakettles whistled and customers chatting. Kenma and Shouyou ordered and paid for their beverages and sat at the bar while they steeped. 

“Royal tea latte for Ms. Kozume,” the barista called out, sliding the paper cup across the counter. 

Kenma scowled but took the drink. Shouyou raised his eyebrows, asking if Kenma wanted to comment. He shook his head, staying silent until Shouyou got his drink and they sat in at a small table near the window.

“I hate when they do that,” Kenma muttered around the lip of his cup.

“I’m sorry,” Shouyou said, unsure of what to say.

Kenma shook his head and sighed. “Not your fault. Sometimes people are just assholes.”

Shouyou nodded, empathizing all too much with Kenma’s words. The scars on his arms felt more prominent in his t-shirt. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look pretty,” he said.

Kenma looked away, cheeks red from Shouyou’s compliment. Or maybe his tea was really really hot and he burned himself.

“So, what does that snowdrop mean?” Shouyou inquired, casually changing the subject. 

Kenma smiled slowly. “It’s pretty.”

Shouyou laughed. “After all that suspense!”

“Like you said, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to be pretty.” He took a sip of his tea, maintaining eye contact over the edge of his drink.

Shouyou smiled back, lips wavering with his roiling emotions. He wanted to joke around but was afraid of saying something wrong. At the same time, he got the feeling that Kenma just wanted to be around him and enjoyed his company and silly jokes. It fed majorly into his crush.

“Well, you’re already pretty,” Shouyou burst out. Red flooding his face, he tried to change his words. “I mean, like, your aesthetic is pretty and if like I were to date you, I would cuz you’re really pretty but like that’s theoretical, I mean the dating, not the fact that you’re pretty,” he babbled until Kenma’s soft giggles stopped him.

“I like you, Shouyou,” Kenma said, tucking his hair behind his ear. “You’re honest and that’s sweet.”

Shouyou rubbed the back of his neck, as if he could brush away the blush. “Uh, eh, Thanks?”

Kenma smiled and played with the hem of his cartigan. “I also like the idea of wearing hope,” he continued, leaning back in his seat. “It’s… comforting.”

Shouyou nodded enthusiastically. He managed to get a few more tattoo meanings out of Kenma before their conversation devolved into stories and jokes. And all that with minimal (i.e. a lot) of blustered words and blushing. Their cups had been empty for a while when Kenma checked the time and realized he had to be back soon. They tossed their cups and exited the tiny shop.

“Uh.” Shouyou looked at both sides of the sidewalk. He had been paying so much attention to what Kenma had been saying when they were walking over that now he wasn’t sure where they came from. 

“It’s this way,” Kenma said, an amused lilt in his voice. He grabbed Shouyou’s hand and tugged him towards the left. He didn’t let go of his hand. Shouyou was more than alright with that. 

All too soon, they reached the tattoo parlor. Shouyou stepped in front of Kenma but kept their hands clasped. He noticed that Kenma was just a little bit taller than him and that he was wearing the same cologne as last time. 

“I’ve got to go back in,” Kenma mumbled. He lightly swung their joined hands. He looked Shouyou in the eyes and smiled a genuine smile. “But I had fun.”

Shouyou returned the smile tenfold. “Me too! Maybe we could do this again?” he asked nervously. 

“I’d like that.” Kenma let go of Shouyou’s hands to reach into his pocket. Procuring a marker, he picked up Shouyou’s hand and scribbled on the back of it. 

“That’s so cheesy,” Shouyou giggled, looking at the phone number. 

“But did it work?” Kenma said with a knowing glint in his eyes. 

Shouyou snorted a laugh. “I think you already know,” he admitted. “You’re really perceptive.”

The corner of Kenma’s lip twitched up. He stepped forward and pecked Shouyou on the lips. “I’ll see you soon, Shouyou.” He moved back and disappeared into the store.

Shouyou stood there with a dumb look on his face and the taste of Kenma’s lip balm on his mouth. Only Lev’s shout of victory snapped his out of his stupor. 

“You two are so cute, Kenma-san!”

**Author's Note:**

> rip me
> 
> inspired by my own tattoo (and the experience of getting it lol) and struggles, lmao I'm a mess
> 
> hmu on tumblr @hipster-yams


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